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April Fools Day; Take Your Pick by Terry Jackson
" Where can we find its origins? Ancient Rome, Victorian London or 16th-century France? Answers and comments by email please to info@stayinginwales.com. " |
1. Like Christmas as we now celebrate it, April Fools Day is more a construct than an actual event and is based on the entry into Rome on 28th March AD 37 of the emperor Caligula... Read On
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Spring Calendar
by Roger Thomas
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" A myriad of reasons why you should be heading for Rural Wales this spring. " |
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A powerful little interactive calendar at www.WalesCalendar.com is all you need to plan your trip to Rural Wales this year. Clicking on dates laid out in familiar calendar style brings information up instantly on things to do, places to stay - you can even check availability - and recommendations on places to eat. It's a complete organiser, with colourful maps showing where everything is and how to get there...
Read On
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Festival Time by Roger Thomas |
"Rural Wales is fast becoming the festival and events region of Britain. "
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It's all to do with a long tradition of coming together to celebrate a rich culture and heritage (after all, the first folk festival - known in Wales as the eisteddfod - was held here way back in the 12th century).
Nowadays, Wales' festivals cast their net far and wide. There are literary and drama events, gatherings for jazz, rock and pop fans, celebrations of good food and storytelling, fun events for children and performances of opera and classical music...Read On
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Living History!
by Roger Thomas
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" Wales is a land of castles, heritage sites, stately homes and gardens...there are hundreds here - experts have yet to agree on the precise number! "
They range from forgotten earthen fortifications to mighty World Heritage Sites like Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris, from small Welsh country estates like Llanerchaeron and Dinefwr to great neo-Victorian piles like Penrhyn Castle. Whilst most of the stately homes and gardens are under the care of the National Trust, the great castles are under the care of Cadw; Welsh Historic Monuments.
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No visit to Wales is complete without the experience of walking along a windy battlement, or exploring a gloomy dungeon, wondering at the skills of the medieval stonemason in constructing such towering edifices, or marvelling at the wealth of the Welsh gentry and the slate barons...Read On
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| Star Quality by Roger Thomas |
"From traditional Sunday roasts to new cuisine, value-for-money pub lunches to gastronomic delights you will find it all here. "
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The awards tell the story. In 2002 the Michelin Guide gave stars to five restaurants in Wales, and the UK Pub Restaurant of the Year is in Wales. We are getting more listings in publications like the Which Good Food Guide; nearly 60 Welsh restaurants appear in the 2002 edition, and seven Welsh restaurants are featured in the top 10% in the AA's Restaurant Guide.
Wales is no longer a culinary backwater - although some would argue it never was. Our hospitality is world-famous, our food and drink compares with the very best and now our chefs are producing meals that are truly world-class...Read On |
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Llechweddd Slate Caverns by Ivor Wynne Jones
"Winner of every major tourism award!"
Having won every major tourism award, Llechwedd Slate Caverns, at Blaenau Ffestiniog, offer a great day out, wet or fine. Two very different underground rides are available into vast subterranean workings dating back to William IV, and there are numerous free surface attractions.
Surrounded by the rugged splendour of Snowdonia National Park, Llechwedd Slate Caverns pioneered the presentataion of the unique heritage of the Welsh slate communities and is now the home of Slate Heritage International. Six million visitors have taken the Llechwedd Slate Trail, including six members of the Royal Family and the Crown Prince of Japan...Read On
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| Playgrounds of Penrhyn by Roger Thomas |
"The entertainment-packed children's adventure playground at Penrhyn Castle is full of fun... "
You don't normally associate the darkly dramatic Penrhyn Castle, Bangor, with light-hearted amusement. It's a seriously impressive place. This amazing National Trust property was built in the 19th century by a local slate magnate on a vast scale as a demonstration of his wealth and status.
Yet within its cavernous interior - there are around 150 rooms! - you'll find a delightful museum packed with over 300 dolls from all over the world. It seems ironic that this massive castle, conceived on the grandest of scales, contains 'The Smallest Doll in the World', a tiny, perfectly articulated wooden doll smaller than a pound coin...Read On
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 Lanerchaeron Emerges from its Slumbers
by Roger Thomas
"A timeless glimpse into a way of life that has disappeared."
Llanerchaeron nestles in a wooded valley a few miles inland from Aberaeron on the Cardigan Bay coast. It's a rare example of a Welsh gentry estate, dating from the 18th century. And the good news is that it is gradually being brought back to life.
Surrounded by the rugged splendour of Snowdonia National Park, Llechwedd Everything is here, complete and intact - a beautiful house designed by John Nash (who was also responsible for London's Regent Street), courtyard with bake oven and brewery, servants' quarters, and fascinating array of rustic outbuildings. There's also a magnificent walled garden set amongst acres of beautiful grounds, which are still farmed...Read On
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